The last time I attempted to bake a gluten-free, dairy-free birthday cake was 6 years ago. I decided to try again. I wanted to make a chocolate layer cake to celebrate my birthday this year—as well as my sister’s recent significant birthday. One of the most effective ways that I manage my Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an […]
Boozy Pumpkin-Ginger Pie with Buckwheat Crust
It’s funny where a healing journey can take you. Before I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, flour-based treats—muffins, scones, pancakes, giant chocolate chip cookies from a nearby artisanal bakery or a wedge of chocolate layer cake with chocolate buttercream frosting—were part of my everyday life. I was also a talented baker with a natural “feel” for […]
Slow Burn Buckwheat Gingerbread Brownies
Do you enjoy a slow burn? Then you’ll love these gingerbread brownies! (And, no, you won’t be rating Scoville heat units…there are no chili peppers in these brownies!) Moist and flavorful, a combination of gently warming spices (including fresh ginger root) natural sweeteners and buckwheat flour, makes these brownies a delicious, warming treat (and digestive aid!) […]
Sweet Pleasure: Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Making healthy shifts—especially when it comes to sweet treats that give you pleasure—is key to making healthy eating deliciously sustainable. I know it was for me… Take these delicious Paleo vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting, for example. (By the way, this classic “yellow cake-chocolate frosting” combo has been a winner with everyone who has sampled […]
No-Guilt Flourless Chocolate Cake
Nothing says “love” like a flourless chocolate cake. Especially when it’s homemade. You don’t have to be gluten-free or wheat-free to appreciate the sheer decadence of a flourless chocolate cake. It’s a delectable way to enjoy a combination of healthy fats: pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed butter, dark chocolate and cocoa powder (ideally, unsweetened and 100% cocoa)—all […]
Show Me the Love! Ultra-Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies
Want to show your love? Give me chocolate—the darker, the better (I like 85% cocoa content or higher). Or…you could make these brownies! Why does chocolate = love? We have to credit the Mayans for creating this symbolic connection. In the 7th century, the Mayans migrated from Guatemala to the Yucatan peninsula, where they established […]
Oven-roasted Kabocha Squash “Fries”
I could prattle on about the many virtues of Kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin. In addition to sharing my kabocha squash fries recipe (see below), I’ll give you the cliff notes version on why kabocha is my favorite winter squash… Its flesh, which has a deep orange color and a dense, creamy and […]
Baked Pumpkin-Ginger Custard
I love pie. A few years ago, I even won a red ribbon at a local, upstate apple pie baking contest for both my filling and my pie crust. That was then. Since being diagnosed with low thyroid in 2013, I have followed a strict wheat-free, gluten-free Paleo diet. This has been a good thing […]
Strawberry Love
This Valentine’s Day…show your beloved some strawberry love. Red and heart-shaped, the strawberry could be considered the perfect fruit for Valentine’s Day because it actually does help protect the heart. (And a healthy cardiovascular system is key for sexual arousal and responsiveness.) Anthocyanin, a phenol in strawberries, is what gives strawberries their distinct red color; […]
Having My Coconut Flour Coffee Cake (and Eating It Too)
Growing up, one of my favorite childhood treats was my mother’s sour cream coffee cake: the perfect marriage of a rich, moist yellow cake with the irresistible sugary crunch of its walnut-raisin topping. I inherited my mother’s much-coveted recipe. And, I confess, it’s the one home-baked treat that I’ve occasionally missed since I began following […]